Posted by John Admin

Author J.K. Rowling has finished drafting the fifth Harry Potter novel and may give it to her publishers, Bloomsbury Plc and Scholastic Corp., in three to six months, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Rowling.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix could be published as soon as 2 1/2 to five months after editing, the paper said. Rowling, who married in December and is four months pregnant, told the newspaper she’s satisfied with what she’s written and denied that she’s suffered from writer’s block.

“Book five is frankly huge,” Rowling said, according to the Journal. “I needed to step off the one-book-a-year treadmill. I knew people would say that she’s lost it. But that’s the price you pay for doing what you need to do good work and to maintain quality.”

Stockbroker Evolution Beeson Gregory says it has raised its rating on Harry Potter books publisher Bloomsbury Publishing after author J.K. Rowling said she has completed the bones of her long-awaited fifth book. (From Reuters.)

The superintendent of the Wynne School District [Arkansas] says Harry Potter will not be an option for a sixth grade reading assignment. The book was yanked from a teacher’s reading list after some parents said they didn’t want their kids reading about supernatural or fantasy subjects. (From KARK.com)

Website MyWestTexas reports that “there were 218 challenges to remove 134 books from school libraries across Texas last year. That’s according to an annual report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. Topping most of the lists was the Harry Potter series of books about a boy wizard. They drew 71 challenges in 21 school districts. All the challenges were rejected.”